The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1887-12-24

A Distin4uiGhed Iasoa Tell what Hs
xnovs About Il

Dss ASVV NAVssSo) snS POSS s~Os Cow
of Masonry, during q recent visit to
Portland, Oregon, gave the follow
ing as to "cold facts" regarding
Morgan, who, according to the
of the enemies of Ma
eonry. was put out of the way by
members of that order:
There are many theories concern
ing this matter and it is likely the
subject will never be entirely cleared
up, but there is no one who has
given 20 much attention to it - DR..
Morris. His book Of 300 pages,
published in 1882, under the title
of History of William Morgan"
embodies the documentary history,
and in his Masonic lecture, Friday
night, before the craft Of this city.
he rehearsed the statements of the
men who were concerned in the de-
portation of William Morgan. At
the period of DR.. Morris initiation
into Masonry (l846) most of those.
who participated in the affair were
living, and thus communicated to
him freely all the facts.
Morgan was q worthless fellow
who came to Rochester, N. Y, in
1924. pretending to hail from Can
adian lodge. It was afterwards
proven that he was not legitimate
Mason, but learned the secrets Of
the art from a clandestinc source.
However he continued to visit the
lodges as a reputable brother, and
even to make himself, by repeated
visits, An expert in its rituals. In
this capacity he travelled through
Western New York, living upon the
charities of the order until the
spring If 1926, when in a drunken
frolic, in boastful mood, he stated
publicly that "he never had been
made q Mason, but had got among
them by his shrewdness and Tin
Canadian parlnnce) cleverness." F"
This report spread through the
community, much to the mortifica-
ton of the Masons. They sent a
committee privately to Canada,
where it was discovered that the
reprobate had for once told the
truth, and that he was an impossor.
The peighboring lodges were
promptly notified, and Morgan was
warned of his detection and threat
ened with indictments for obtain
ing money under false pretenses,
This quieted him for time, but in
July following it was discovered
by the fraternity that, III partner
ship with a printer named Miller
Morgan was engaged in publishing
a book styled illustrations of Ma
sonry" and that sixty-four pages o.
the work were actually i'll print
This aroused the feelings of the
fraternity to the highest pitch. In
consultation with the governor O.
New York, Dewitt Clinton, Ions
grand master of Masons and dis
tinguished statesman, it was deemed
advisable to remove Morgan from
the state. BY written contract, ht
was to receive $500 when he should
settle with his family in Canada
and a committee of three MasOns
escorted him, in September 1926
across the border. He received hi
money, but escaped from his agree
ment by going alone to Montrea
and concealing himself among th'
low dives and bagnios of that Sc.
port. He was traced to Montreal
but no further information has eve
bsen received concerning him. BE
Ling an old sailor, he may have ship
| ped there under an assumed name
| to foreign port.
Many reports have been set afioa
bv romancers as to his after life
Some had him living as . hern'i
| in the wilds of the Ottawa river
Some accredit him as shipmaste
sailing out of Liverpool, some as
fruit merchant in Smyrna, Ash
Minor. All these are cut from Who'll
cloth and their absurdity is appa
rent when we view the man ~ a
Ignorant, dissipated sailor.
Rnt the country in 1926 was rip
for = new issue, and "the anti-Ms
sonic party" engineered BY tha
| shrewdest of politicians, Ihurio'
Weed, was at once put into the f1elt
Francis Granger. Millard Fillmor'
William H. Seward, John c. Sper
}cer. John @. Adams and others, q
young men aspiring for politics
| honors. assumed the traces, and fe
q few years had affairs pretty niue
in their own way. Anti -Masonl
newspapers to the number OF 10
we're set on foot, the Albany Argu
under the management Of Thurio
Weed. taking the advance, % tn
Free Masonry for for ten years v.
under . ban. Four-6fths OF Il
Masonic lodges in the United stat
went down under tho politic'
storm. The grand lodges themselv'
maintained : precari0us extstent
and two Of them Michigan and ]
!. |linois) were dissolved. Books ~
! | pamphle4o in great editions, we
circulated; showing tle eviIs